Responsibility

I was laying awake last night at about 4am (I don’t know the exact time…I didn’t want to know), and was thinking about the word “responsibility”. Don’t ask me why, I just was. In any event, I was thinking about that word, along with what it means, and what kinds of responsibilities I had in various aspects of my life.
I can easily understand why some people get so upset about the responsibilities of life that they become virtually paralyzed and cannot function in ordinary situations such as work, home life, and living. It can be a daunting thing to think of all of those people and situations who are dependent in some way or another on someone to do a job or carry out a task.
In the light of day as we go about our daily tasks, the burden seems somehow lessened. We manage to do at least most of what we are responsible for doing, and what doesn’t ge done waits until another day or really didn’t need to be done at all. But at times when it is quiet and we are alone with our thoughts, they can quickly loom ever larger until they just seem to overwhelm the senses.
I am reminded of Paul’s statement that he had learned the secret of contentment. Whatever the situation he found himself in, he said, he learned to be content with it. I would imagine that if anyone had responsibilities that seemed to overwhelm, it may have been him. Carried into situations not of his making and which altered his plans for the future in big ways, Paul learned to rely on a Higher Power and be content with wherever he found himself.
I know that I need to emulate Paul and others that have managed to find the secret of contentment and peace, even in the midst of chaos and disorder. I have a difficult time with that, and know that I would have a much easier time of life in general if I wasn’t so worried about getting this done or fulfilling that responsibility in a timely manner. Yes, we as Christians are to be diligent to live our lives “as unto the Lord” and so we must do the best we can. But to worry excessively about something or to allow external forces to take away our happiness, contentment, and peace is not appropriate and has no place in the life of the Christian.
I also know that for some people, the problem of excessive worry goes beyond what can reasonably be accommodated, and professional help may be needed. If so, there should be no stigma attached to that need; rather, we support and encourage our fellow Christian as best we know how and “bear one-another’s burden.”
Most of us don’t have the worry of where we will get our next meal, or where we will stay the night. Instead, our worries are more along the lines of paying bills, keeping promises, and attending to looming future events. We have moved away from worry about survival to worry about things not as important. The fallout of that worry, however, does not change. We can still be paralyzed by excessive worry, and that worry can rob us of the peace and contentment promised by our God.
There are no easy fixes. There is nothing I know of that will change this in five minutes or less. I know it is a learning process. And I know that true peace and contentment are gifts and blessings from God. I know that it involves one giving up the right to control one’s destiny and allowing God to take charge. I know that it is a daily decision that becomes a daily way of life.
And that, my friend, is not easy.